because really, as we look at it really the only leverage that republicans have on the fiscal cliff talks they proceed to be with the debt limit right? so today the treasury department ups the ante by endorsing republican senator mitch mcconnell's summer 2011 provision which you know, he suggested and it effectively lets the president raise the debt limit himself. only has congress intervene if they don't like it. mcconnell, of course is now against it. do you think something like that could pass? >> maybe. it is only -- it is only december 5th and you know, that leaves 26 days and a lot of times, these kind of negotiations change very wildly in the last few days so it's possible. the fact that mcconnell did propose this just last year, even though he's against it now the fact that he was thiebd last year could build public pressure on him to get behind this again and it is kind of complicated and arcane. you summed it up very well. instead of the debt limit being something that congress has to actively raise, they could just passively -- it would be something they would have to disapprov